Outlawry was an important part of our ancestory as it made folk travel, discover and settle in new parts of the world. What was it, I have never seen many threads on it, so here is my opinion from my reading on the subject.

Although outlawry was a punishment it was primarily to stop revenge, there was no making a better man per se. These laws were the first they are called Gulathings and Frostathing law. After a crime that was commited the individual was placed outside of the law, there were two levels of outlawry in eglish I will say Irredeemable and redeemable.

Folk were given a fine (weregild), until paid if they or there family could not pay they were officially outlawed at the thing of there country. If weregild was paid there was no revenge by the victim or there family. This was used for crimes that were not classed as irredeemable.

Irredeemable crimes called 'Ubota-mal' where no weregild could be paid, you were immediately outlawed and all property was lost, including Odal (loss of Inheritence, lineage and nobility), no one called an Ubata-man could redeem himself. This would be ratified and a ruling on time was given at the Althing.


A nithing slaying also an Ubota-mal, was also called 'settareid' this is where a crime was also against an Oath, you could be slain with impunity.

If you commited a crime of laying with a women that was not allowed Gulathings law 160, you could be slain instantly and as long as the person who slayed them told the first person he met there was no crime in the law. If that crime was commited and you were not slain you were called 'Ubota-Menn' in law, you were also named 'Varg i veum' (Wolf in the Sanctuary) and or 'Skogar-man' (forestman), again these folk could be killed by any who saw him.

The lower outlawry was called (Utlegdarmal) which was where you could redeem your own crimes with a weregild. Corporal punishment was sometimes substitued for the weregild.

Looking forward to any questions or observations, some sagas to read Grettirs, Droplaugarsona, and Heimskringla.

link to the Gulathings and Frostathing law,

Compilation of Early Norwegian Laws. "The oldest Norwegian laws, those of Gula and Frosta, go back to a time when the culture of the Middle Ages was still a somewhat novel experience in Northern Europe. Though the copies that have survived seem to date from the twelfth century and later, the codes must, in considerable part, have taken form in the eleventh century, or as early as the first generation of the Christian age. Heathendom had by that time been outlawed, but one seems justified in believing that the cult of strength and valor was for some time yet a force that had to be taken into account; for the principles that governed in the heathen age retained much of their ancient vigor, and the old civilization, rooted, as it was, in the soil itself, was able in large measure to maintain both life and validity." --Foreword, vii Laurence M. Larson [1868-1938] was a Professor of History at the University of Illinois. CONTENTS Introduction THE OLDER LAW OF THE GULATHING The Church Law The Merchant Law The Law of Tenancy The Inheritance Law Miscellaneous Provisions The Law of Personal Rights The Wergeld System The Law as to Theft The Redemption of Odal Land The Law of the Coast Defense A Later System of Wergeld THE OLDER LAW OF THE FROSTATHING Introduction I. The Frostathing II. The Church Law III. The Church Law-Continued IV. The Law of Personal Rights V. Miscellaneous Provisions VI. The Wergeld System VII. The Law of the Coast Defense VIII. The Inheritance Law IX. The Inheritance Law-Continued X. The Merchant Law XI. The Merchant Law-Continued XII. The Redemption of Odal Land XIII. The Law of Tenancy XIV. The Law of Tenancy-Concluded. The Law as to Theft XV. The Law as to Theft-Continued XVI. Later Enactments Glossary Bibliography Index



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